See You in Mel

The Sequel to Barraca

Welcome to Melibea, a beauty of a creative Mediterranean spot from the team behind Barraca, opening
Monday... down the hall from Barraca.

This is where good dates come to become great. A sort of highly filtered Instagram of an
old-school Barcelona theater, where an etched-granite bar is the wine-stocked stage. The name comes from
a 15th-century Spanish play. That you’ve probably never seen. So you’ll associate it with plates of lamb
tagine and oxtail-stew-topped pasta instead.

If Barraca is a boisterous group scene, this is where you’ll single out the group member you like best and
win them over with venison moussaka and bottles of Lebanese red. You’ve got a couple of elevated Spanish-tiled
platforms to choose from—one just to your right from the entrance, the other straight back. Go for the
back.

There’s a nook for the two of you—just pass that sexy, stage-lit bar. The burnt-orange tufted banquette
right next to the shelf with the lamp and the old-timey phone. That’s the spot.

But there are more spots on the horizon. A chef’s table, just opposite the bar, and a subterranean
after-hours lounge, Duende, which they’re still kicking around ideas for.